Shoe last



K. HEGGS Oct. 10, 1944.

sHoE LAST Fired neo. 5, 194:2v

Patented Got. 10, 1944 SHOE LAST Kenneth Heggs, sissippi Valley corporation ol' Missouri Application December 5, 1942, Serial No. 467,93

z claims.

This invention relates to a shoe last. and consists in the novel construction hereinafter described.

In the shoe making art, the vogue for the socalled platform shoes has created a lasting problern. In shoes of this type an insole or a 'sock lining is secured to thev upper beforelasting. This restricts the longitudinal stretch of the upper from toe to heel. In the ordinary shoe construction, the upper is lasted before the longitudinal stretch of the upper is restricted, because the lower edge of the upper is free and uurs-- stricted. `In the case of the lasting of an upper when the bottom is closed by the attached insole, if an ordinary hinged last is employed the breaking of the last over extends the tread of the last, and when-inserted in the completely closed upper, the upper is unduly stretched and distorted, frequently causing damage to the shoe parts.

An object of the presentY invention is to proy vide a collapsible shoe last that shortens from heel to toe in such a manner that it may be readily inserted in the forepart of the shoe, and then brought to an extended position with the heel portion of the 'last seating without undue stretching of the upper.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a last that may be readily inserted in the shoe upper and removed therefrom while providing anextremely vrigid constructlon,`whereby the shoe Darts are them, and whereby the vertical rigidity oi. the last is preserved during the lasting operation.

Another object the construction of a collapsibleiast of the charact/er described, in ,whichI the abutting faces are so formed, and the forepart of the heel part of the last are associated and connected together,

- so that the heel portion of the last may be raised and tilted to give an appreciable shortening of the last from toe to heel for ready insertion in theslroeand which will, through an inclined plane a'ctifii.'result in gently wedging the last into the shoe.

Additional obiectswill appear from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates the last in extended position;

Fig. 2 illustrates the last in partiallv retracted position;

Fig. 3 illustrates the last in full tion. showing in dotted lines the of the heel portion of the last;

Fis. 4 is e sectional view showing an enlarged retracted posidownward tilt stretched sumciently to shape.

of the linvention is t6 improve Kirkwood, Mo., assignmto Mise Last Company, St. Louis, Mo., a.

fragmentary view of a connection between the forepart and heel part of the last, and the means for locking the last in extended position; I

Fig. 5 is a view of the same parts, showing the last in retracted or shortened position;

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken on the line 8 6 of Fig. 2; and, y

Fig. 7 illustrates the manner in which the last is retracted for insertion in a shoe upper.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the last body is shown as comprising the forepart l and the heel part 2. The forepart is formed with a downwardly inclined face 3, a shoulder d, and a downwardly inclined face 5. The heel part of the last is formed with complementary faces 6, a shoulder l and a face 8. The matching faces have a. downward and backward inclination, thus forming two matching inclined faces above and below the shoulder -l.

The forepart of the last is grooved at 9, as particularly illustrated in. Figs. 4 and 5. e 'I'he groove extends downwardly from above the shoulder I to the lower or tread portion of the last. The heel part of the last is grooved at 9a extending upwardly from belowthe shoulder l. The two parte of the last are connected together oy a link I0, connected respectively with the forepart and the heel part by pins Il and l2 that extend transversely through openings formed in the respective sections of the last. The dimension of the groove 9 is such that, when the last is in retracted position, the heel part in respect of the forepart of 'the last can move upwardly and tilt downwardly, as particularly illustrated in the dotted lines of Fig. 3. This contracted position, not only vshortens substantially the distance from the toe sof the last to the heel line thereof, but likewise shortens substantially the longitudinal dimension of the tread face of the last.

This -construction, therefore, permits the last to be readily inserted 'n the shoe upper, even thoufxh the shoe upper has attached to it a sock lining or insole. When the last is extended, by the wedging action of the complementary faces between the two portions of the last, the upper .is stretched and shaped with the minimum ot strain.

The last parts are heldin and released .from

extended. position by a pin i3 seated in a. socket M formed in the upper inclined face of the forepart of the last. 'I'he pin is actuated outwardly by a spring l5. When the last is in full extended position, the pin enters an. opening 8 of the heel part of the last. The opening I8 as in the face' extends entirely through the upper portion of the heel part. By inserting a pin in the opening I0, the pin Il is depressed to release lt from the lower end of the opening IB. This forms a convenient releaseable latch for holding the last in extended position, which when released permits the two parts of the lest to move to retracted adjustment.

The last is provided with the usual jack spindle I1 that seats in -a socket I8 in the upper face of the heel portion of the last.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, the line x-zr denes the longitudinal dimension of the tread face of i the last. In Fig. 3 the lines z-x, and y-y illustrate the comparative dimensions of the last in extended -and retracted adjustments. This illusa heel strap instead of a full heel section of the.

upper. Shoes of this construction do not permit violent stretching, such as results in the conventional hinged last, but permits the last to be inserted and extended with greatly reduced force in the stretching action of the upper.

While the invention has particular applicability to shoes of the construction mentioned, it will be understood that it also has utility for lasting shoe uppers of the conventional type. The last of the construction described can be operated with greater facility and with less likelihood of damage to the shoe upper.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' 1. In a shoe last, a forepart and a heel part, the forepart having a rst surface extending downwardly and rearwardly thereof, a second surface extending substantially horizontally from .the lower edge of the first surface, and a third surface extending downwardly and rearwardly from the rear edge of the second surface, the heel part having first and third surfaces complementary to the first and third surfaces of the first part, and having va second surface between its first and third surfaces and shaped tointerlock with the second surface of the forepart to limit downward movement of the heel part relative to the forepart when the first and third complementary surfaces are in abutting relation, a single link between the forepart and heel part, a pivot attaching the link and the heel part, a pivot attaching the link and the forepart, said pivots be.

ing in a line extending from front to rear of the last, and said pivot line forming an angle substantially greater than 90` at the upper and rear of its intersection with the line of, direction'of the first surfaces, and an angle substantially greater' than 90 at the lower and front of its intersection with the line of direction of the third surfaces, whereby said first and third surfaces are at all points substantially more than 90 to the pivot line, said heel -part being liftable to. piv'ot the link about its front pivot, and the heel part being pivotable also about its pivot on the link, whereby the front of the heel part may be lifted and the back of the heel part may be rocked downwardly, the distance along the line joining the pivots, between the back pivot and the heel line being less than the distance from the back pivot to the upper part of the heel line of the last, whereby upon pivoting of the heel partdownwardly about the back pivot, the upper part of said heel line tends to move backwardly of the `forepart of the last, the aforesaid angle between the'first surfaces and the line Joining the pivots being sufficiently greater than to effect drawing of the heel line of the heel part forward by its pivoting about the forward pivot; substantially as much as the heel line is extended backwardly by the pivoting downwardly of the heel part about the back pivot.

2. In a shoe last, a forepart and a heel part, the forepart having a rst surface extending downwardly and rearwardly thereof, a. second surface extending substantially horizontally from the lower edge of the first surface, and a third surface extending downwardly and rearwardly from the rear edge of the second surface, the

heel part having first and third surfaces complementary to the rst and third surfaces of the first part, and having a second surface between its first and third surfaces and shaped to interlock with the second surface of lthe forepart to limit downward movement of the heel part relative to the forepart when the first and third complementary surfaces are in abutting relation, a single link between' the forepart and heel part, a pivot attaching the link and the heel part, a pivot attaching the link and the forepart, said pivots being in a line extending 'from front to rear of the last, and said pivot line forming an angle of substantially at the upper and rear of its intersection with the line of direction of the first surfaces, and an angle substantially greater than 90 at the lower and front of its intersection with the line of directionof the third surfaces, whereby said first and third surfaces are at all points substantially more than 90 to the pivot line, said heel part being lftable to pivot the link about its front pivot, and the heel part being pivotable also about its pivot on the link, whereby the front of the heel part may be lifted and the back of the heel part may be rocked downwardly the distance along the line joining the pivots, between the back pivot and the heel line being less than the distance from the back pivot to the upper part of the heel line of the last, whereby upon pivoting of the heel part downwardly about the back pivot, the upper partof said heel line tends to move backwardly of the forepart of the last, the aforesaid angle between the first surfaces and the line joining the pivots being sufficiently greater than 90 to effect drawing of the heel line of the heel part forward by its pivoting about the forward pivot, substantially as much as the heel line is extended backwardly by the pivoting downwardly of the heel p art about the back pivot.

KENNETH HEGGS. 

